The Hanoi People’s Court on April 4 sentenced Cu Huy Ha Vu to seven years in jail on the charge of “conducting propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” pursuant to Article 88 of the Penal Code.

Vu, born in 1957, also received three-year probation after serving his imprisonment sentence, which was counted since he was arrested on November 5, 2010.

According to the Hanoi People’s Procuracy’s indictment, from 2009 to October 2010, Vu had posted many writings and interviews on the Internet with contents against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

These writings and interviews distorted the Party and State’s guidelines and policies, defamed the government and State institutions and blackened the Vietnamese people’s resistance war.

During the trial, Vu did not admit to his violations. However, after considering the documents, evidence and testimony collected during the investigation process, the jury agreed there were sufficient grounds to prove Vu was guilty of “conducting propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam”.

The jury said this case was serious and Vu’s acts were dangerous to society and infringed upon the interests of the State and people. However, taking into account the fact that his family made outstanding service to the nation, the court arrived at the seven-year sentence./.